Over the past few months, we have discussed many show-stopping maneuvers that have pushed the pilot and his airframe to the limit. This month, I will reveal the ins and outs to performing a maneuver that is called the knife-edge descent. To refresh your memory, a traditional knife-edge is performed when the aircraft is rolled 90 degrees (from upright level flight) in an attitude that has the wings perpendicular to the ground. Once the model is in knife-edge flight, rudder input must be applied so that the nose of the aircraft will remain parallel to the horizon (and also, so that no altitude loss will occur).
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